Obama expresses support for Park51 (updated)

And prompts a flurry of press releases from New York GOP candidates. The president spoke about an hour ago at the Iftar Dinner celebrating Ramadam at the White House. (Let’s pause now to note that President Bush hosted the same Ramadan celebration a few years ago.)

The statement represent a reversal of the previous Obama Administration position, as stated by spokesman Robert Gibbs, that the future of the cultural center and mosque two blocks from the World Trade Center was a local issue. That opinion, however, predated NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s statement of support for the project last week, a speech that used many of the same themes struck by Obama this evening.

Here are the President’s remarks:

Good evening, everybody. Welcome. Please, have a seat. Well, welcome to the White House. To you, to Muslim Americans across our country, and to more than one billion Muslims around the world, I extend my best wishes on this holy month. Ramadan Kareem.

I want to welcome members of the diplomatic corps; members of my administration; and members of Congress, including Rush Holt, John Conyers, and Andre Carson, who is one of two Muslim American members of Congress, along with Keith Ellison. So welcome, all of you.

Here at the White House, we have a tradition of hosting iftars that goes back several years, just as we host Christmas parties and seders and Diwali celebrations. And these events celebrate the role of faith in the lives of the American people. They remind us of the basic truth that we are all children of God, and we all draw strength and a sense of purpose from our beliefs.

These events are also an affirmation of who we are as Americans. Our Founders understood that the best way to honor the place of faith in the lives of our people was to protect their freedom to practice religion. In the Virginia Act of Establishing Religion Freedom, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.” The First Amendment of our Constitution established the freedom of religion as the law of the land. And that right has been upheld ever since.

Indeed, over the course of our history, religion has flourished within our borders precisely because Americans have had the right to worship as they choose -– including the right to believe in no religion at all. And it is a testament to the wisdom of our Founders that America remains deeply religious -– a nation where the ability of peoples of different faiths to coexist peacefully and with mutual respect for one another stands in stark contrast to the religious conflict that persists elsewhere around the globe.

Now, that’s not to say that religion is without controversy. Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities -– particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. (Applause.) And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure.

We must never forget those who we lost so tragically on 9/11, and we must always honor those who led the response to that attack -– from the firefighters who charged up smoke-filled staircases, to our troops who are serving in Afghanistan today. And let us also remember who we’re fighting against, and what we’re fighting for. Our enemies respect no religious freedom. Al Qaeda’s cause is not Islam -– it’s a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders -– they’re terrorists who murder innocent men and women and children. In fact, al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion -– and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.

So that’s who we’re fighting against. And the reason that we will win this fight is not simply the strength of our arms -– it is the strength of our values. The democracy that we uphold. The freedoms that we cherish. The laws that we apply without regard to race, or religion, or wealth, or status. Our capacity to show not merely tolerance, but respect towards those who are different from us –- and that way of life, that quintessentially American creed, stands in stark contrast to the nihilism of those who attacked us on that September morning, and who continue to plot against us today.

In my inaugural address I said that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus —- and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and every culture, drawn from every end of this Earth. And that diversity can bring difficult debates. This is not unique to our time. Past eras have seen controversies about the construction of synagogues or Catholic churches. But time and again, the American people have demonstrated that we can work through these issues, and stay true to our core values, and emerge stronger for it. So it must be -– and will be -– today.

And tonight, we are reminded that Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity. And Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been a part of America. The first Muslim ambassador to the United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by President Jefferson, who arranged a sunset dinner for his guest because it was Ramadan —- making it the first known iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago. (Applause.)

Like so many other immigrants, generations of Muslims came to forge their future here. They became farmers and merchants, worked in mills and factories. They helped lay the railroads. They helped to build America. They founded the first Islamic center in New York City in the 1890s. They built America’s first mosque on the prairie of North Dakota. And perhaps the oldest surviving mosque in America —- still in use today —- is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Today, our nation is strengthened by millions of Muslim Americans. They excel in every walk of life. Muslim American communities —- including mosques in all 50 states —- also serve their neighbors. Muslim Americans protect our communities as police officers and firefighters and first responders. Muslim American clerics have spoken out against terror and extremism, reaffirming that Islam teaches that one must save human life, not take it. And Muslim Americans serve with honor in our military. At next week’s iftar at the Pentagon, tribute will be paid to three soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq and now rest among the heroes of Arlington National Cemetery.

These Muslim Americans died for the security that we depend on, and the freedoms that we cherish. They are part of an unbroken line of Americans that stretches back to our founding; Americans of all faiths who have served and sacrificed to extend the promise of America to new generations, and to ensure that what is exceptional about America is protected -– our commitment to stay true to our core values, and our ability slowly but surely to perfect our union.

For in the end, we remain “one nation, under God, indivisible.” And we can only achieve “liberty and justice for all” if we live by that one rule at the heart of every great religion, including Islam —- that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

So thank you all for being here. I wish you a blessed Ramadan. And with that, let us eat. (Applause.)

The first press releases arrived from the campaigns of — offered in order based on speed of release — Gary Berntsen, Rick Lazio, Carl Paladino and Jay Townsend. Here’s Berntsen:

“President Obama’s announcement that he favors the placement of the Cordoba House Mosque at Ground Zero is not surprising given the apologetic posture he has assumed on behalf our country on the international stage. The President’s interference in this issue is most unfortunate yet also predictable given his propensity to overstep the bounds of federal government. He seems to care very little that a number of polls have shown that the people impacted the most by the proposed mosque, New Yorkers, are overwhelmingly opposed to placement of a mosque in such close proximity to the sacred ground at the World Trade Center site.’

“The President also fails to recognize that this is not a debate over religious freedom – rather it is a matter of national security. The rights of individuals to practice their faith is a fundamental component of who we are as a nation. But that does not give any individual or group the right to put our people at great risk. And a mosque at Ground Zero that will attract extremists from across the globe will surely do just that.’

“The President’s inappropriate meddling in this issue is rather ironic in that his policy puppet, New York’s Senior Senator Charles Schumer, has been virtually silent while dodging questions on this issue. On May 1, Faisal Shahzad attempted to blow up his SUV in Times Square, days later President Obama cut terror funding to New York and it was Mayor Bloomberg not Senator Schumer who lead the charge in getting the funding restored. President Obama and Charles Schumer are far more concerned with how they will be viewed within the liberal community rather than in fulfilling their responsibilities to the citizens of New York and the United States.’

“President Obama should ask Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf where the funding for the mosque is coming from and whether he views Hamas as a terror organization before he tries to deflect the very real security concerns at issue by instead lecturing New Yorkers on matters of religious tolerance.”

Here’s Lazio:

“President Obama and Attorney General Cuomo still are not listening to New Yorkers. With over 100 mosques in New York City, this is not an issue of religion, but one of safety and security through transparency. Since calling for transparency the first week of July along with several of the groups representing the victim’s families, I have been joined by the Anti-Defamation League, Governor George Pataki, Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Representative Peter King in calling for the Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to open the books of the Cordoba Initiative, a registered charity with the Attorney General’s office. If Andrew Cuomo had just done his job and looked into the books of the backers of the Cordoba Initiative, the public would have found out sooner that the developers do not even own some of the land they claim to own. What we do know is that the Imam leading this effort is not a peace maker or a bridge builder having said in the week after the attacks that, ‘United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.’ What we also know is that there has been a deliberate attempt to avoid transparency and a deliberate attempt to build the Mosque at this location, why? President Obama along with Andrew Cuomo’s silence nearly brought the civilian trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to lower Manhattan. President Obama and Andrew Cuomo were wrong then, they are wrong now, and we made a promise to ourselves following 9/11 that we would ‘Never Forget.’”

After President Barack Obama announced his support for the Ground Zero Mosque at a Ramadan celebration tonight, Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, a Republican candidate for Governor of New York, called upon the United States Congress to declare the World Trade Center district of New York City a War Memorial. The federal government designation which would help stop the construction of a Victory Mosque at the site where radical Islamists declared war on America and killed thousands of innocent civilians.

“Now we know exactly what President Obama thinks of the families left behind by the murderous attack on America not ten years ago,” Paladino said. “The Ground Zero Mosque is an insult to all Americans and a slap in the face to the surviving families of those murdered in cold blood on September 11th and all the American and allied men and women killed and maimed in the ensuing wars.”

“The Ground Zero Mosque is not about freedom of religion, as President Obama claims. It’s about the murderous ideology behind the attacks on our country and the fanatics our troops are fighting every day in the Middle East,” Paladino said. “New York’s Congressional delegation must move immediately to sponsor and pass a law that declares the entire World Trade Center district a War Memorial where one group of
Americans may not move to insult another class of citizens.”

Paladino and other supporters of a War Memorial district in lower Manhattan propose including the entire area where the dust cloud containing human remains spread from the World Trade Center site. The backers of the Ground Zero Mosque are not moderate Muslims, but
backers of the violent Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood sects. The developers blame America for the attacks on September 11th and subscribe to the bloodthirsty tenets of Sharia Law.

Carl Paladino, a successful Western New York real estate developer and attorney, is a Republican candidate for Governor of New York. He and Tom Ognibene, candidate for Lieutenant Governor, petitioned their way into the Republican Primary in July and canvassed to create a Tea
Party-inspired line called the Taxpayers Party.

For more information on where Carl Paladino stands on the issues, please visit www.paladinoforthepeople.com.

Finally, Townsend:

“We have long known the President is out of touch with the country. Tonight he has demonstrated that he is hopelessly out of touch with the people of New York City. His statement underscores a complete lack of understanding of the scars left by the World Trade Center attacks as well as the pain and suffering endured by the victims of 9/11 and their families. This is not an argument about private property rights or religious freedom, it is an argument about taste and his statement this evening is tasteless.”

“Running for Congress, my number one focus is jobs and the economy of our region. But today, I cannot remain silent as President Obama wades into the Ground Zero mosque controversy.

The President is pandering to appease his liberal supporters and that is an outrage. This isn’t about tolerance, Mr. President, it’s about respect for the innocent victims of a despicable attack by Muslim fanatics.

There are mosques, large and small all across New York City. So this isn’t a question of excluding anyone from having a place to worship. It is about the simple common sense idea that, while we are a tolerant people, we expect those who enjoy our freedoms to show some respect themselves.

President Obama should apologize to the families of the 9/11 victims he has offended tonight.”

And from Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Warren Redlich, who goes after Paladino for his eminent domain concept; Redlich and Paladino don’t get along:

Carl Paladino “refudiates” another Tea Party principle in his new proposal to federalize lower Manhattan. The 10th Amendment protects the rights of the States and the People against the federal government. This is a critical issue within the Tea Party movement.

Warren Redlich, the Libertarian candidate for Governor and a speaker at several Tea Party events, rejected Paladino’s latest proposal: “History has shown us what happens when people give power to bigoted strongmen with a disregard for the fundamental rules of government.”

Paladino previously disregarded the Tea Party movement’s opposition both to eminent domain abuse and reckless government spending by proposing a New York State taking of the area around the World Trade Center.

In addition, Paladino has personally benefited from “economic development” and openly advocates for it in his campaign. This corporate welfare, in the form of bailouts, was one of the biggest sparks in the explosion of the Tea Party movement.

And of course, Paladino gave $1000 to Senator Chuck Schumer’s campaign on June 30, 2009, five days after Schumer announced his plan for a “public option” in federal health insurance reform.

“Carl Paladino does not believe in the Tea Party movement,” Redlich said, “He and his consultants are merely using the movement to advance their own personal agendas.”